By Hou Akot Hou
Police in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State (NBGs) have reported a tragic incident in Aweil Town in which a young mother is alleged to have caused the deaths of her two children following a family dispute.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday evening in the New Site neighbourhood of Aweil Town.
According to state police spokesperson Madut Ngong Aleu, the woman allegedly strangled her three-year-old and one-year-old children inside their home. Both children reportedly died following the incident.
The woman also reportedly attempted to take her own life but was rescued and is currently in police custody.
Ngong said preliminary information indicates that the woman had been experiencing difficulties in her relationship with her husband.
He said the woman had reportedly been deeply affected by the recent death of her firstborn daughter, who died from an unknown illness while staying at the family’s ancestral home in the village.
According to Ngong, the woman said she had been facing repeated accusations from her husband over the death of their firstborn daughter.
He said the husband had allegedly blamed her for the child’s death in connection with an earlier dispute and decision concerning their marriage.
Ngong said the woman’s family is from Warrap State, while her husband is from Aweil South County.
He added that the two families had experienced disagreements during marriage negotiations and that an oath had previously been taken between them.
“According to the preliminary report that we are getting, the woman says that she has been receiving a lot of abusive statements from her husband,” Ngong said.
He said the situation had reportedly caused the woman significant emotional distress before the incident.
Police said the woman is being detained and is expected to appear before court as investigations continue.
He appealed to couples and families to avoid abusive language and seek peaceful ways of addressing disagreements.
“Human rights are inalienable rights, and you cannot keep on abusing somebody. This results in making one take such decisions,” he said, urging families to address their problems through dialogue and peaceful means.
The incident has also renewed concerns about psychological distress and the limited availability of counselling services in South Sudan, particularly in rural communities.